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RecruitingNCT05973864CAPPAUpdated Nov 17, 2025

Capecitabine Plus Pembrolizumab in Patients With Triple Negative Breast Cancer After Chemo-immunotherapy and Surgery

A Phase 2 interventional study of Pembrolizumab injection and Capecitabine tablets in Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms, sponsored by UNICANCER. Recruiting at 20 sites in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-11-17.

Sponsored by UNICANCER · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Mar 2025; still recruiting 1 year 6 months later.
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
220
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacity and safety of pembrolizumab and capecitabine on the invasive disease-free survival, in participants who have triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) with residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy associated with pembrolizumab.

Read the detailed description

We propose to evaluate the benefit in 2-year iDFS and safety of adding capecitabine to pembrolizumab in post-operative phase of pembrolizumab-containing treatment, in the subgroup of localized TNBC patients with residual disease.

An external cohort with patients treated with pembrolizumab as part of standard care after surgery, for localized TNBC without pCR after NAC, and with similar eligibility criteria, will be registered in an ambispective way, allowing comparisons between the experimental arm and this external cohort. All the centers involved in the study will participate in the registration of the needed information concerning this cohort.

02

Conditions studied

  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms
03

In context

Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms

1,140 studies on the registry are indexed under Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; 443 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 220 is above the median of 61 across 982 interventional studies indexed under Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms.

Browse Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

UNICANCER is the lead sponsor of 215 studies on the registry; 52 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

  • CRITERIA FOR EXPERIMENTAL ARM :

Inclusion criteria (for experimental arm):

Patients eligible for this study must meet ALL of the following criteria:

  1. Patient must have signed a written informed consent prior to any trial specific procedures. When the patient is physically unable to give their written consent, a trusted person of their choice, independent from the investigator or the sponsor, can confirm in writing the patient's consent;
  2. Subject ≥18 years of age on day of signing informed consent form (ICF);
  3. Histologically proven TNBC defined as follows:

    1. HER2 negativity (ASCO/CAP criteria)
    2. AND less than 10% of cells stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for ER and PgR;
  4. TNBC patients previously treated by standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy with a minimum of 6 cycles of immunochemotherapy containing pembrolizumab, per standard of care (and pembrolizumab label) and anthracyclines and/or taxanes (with/without carboplatin). Other drugs may be acceptable following discussion with the sponsor (with the exclusion of capecitabine);
  5. Complete resection of the breast tumor(s) (and of any invaded lymph node);
  6. No complete pathological response, defined as RCB Class I, II or III (per local assessment);
  7. Available representative formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor block from surgery specimen with its histological report;
  8. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status \<2;
  9. Adequate organ and bone marrow function. All screening lab tests should be performed within 28 days before inclusion;
  10. Resolution to at least grade 1 of all acute toxicities from previous therapies including immune-related toxicity due to pembrolizumab, except alopecia and grade 2 immune-related endocrinopathies controlled by hormone replacement which are allowed;
  11. Minimal/maximal period for prior treatments (i.e. minimal delay from last dose of prior treatment to C1D1): breast surgery (the wound must have healed prior to C1D1) ≥2 weeks (maximum 10 weeks); last pembrolizumab injection ≥3 weeks;
  12. Women of child-bearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 7 days before C1D1;
  13. Women of child-bearing potential and male patients must agree to use 1 effective form of contraception from the time of the negative pregnancy test up to 6 months after the last dose of study drugs;
  14. Patient should be able and willing to comply with study visits and procedures as per protocol;
  15. Patients must be affiliated to a Social Security System (or equivalent).

Non-inclusion criteria (for experimental arm):

Patients eligible for this study must not meet ANY of the following criteria:

  1. Radiological or clinical evidence of metastatic disease documented by imaging or clinical examination performed during screening period;
  2. Has received capecitabine or other ICI than pembrolizumab in the NAC regimen;
  3. Has a known additional malignancy, excepted skin basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or in situ cervical cancer or previously treated malignancy with no evidence of disease for ≥2 years;
  4. Presents a contraindication to continue pembrolizumab treatment as per respective SmPC including known hypersensitivity;
  5. Previous immune-related adverse event of any grade due to pembrolizumab that led to permanent discontinuation of pembrolizumab;
  6. Presents a contraindication to capecitabine treatment as per SmPC (See EMA website for most recent edition of SmPC);
  7. Complete DPD (Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase) deficiency (a systematic screening of DPD deficiency must be performed);
  8. Patient with active infection ;
  9. Patients with history of uncontrolled or symptomatic cardiac disease ;
  10. Patients having received brivudine within 4 weeks prior to inclusion;
  11. Require the use of one of the following forbidden treatments during the study treatment period:

    • Any investigational anticancer therapy other than the protocol specified treatment;
    • Any concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, biologic for cancer treatment, other than the ones stated in the protocol;
  12. Pregnant women or women who are breast-feeding;
  13. Patients unwilling or unable to comply with the medical follow-up required by the trial because of geographic, familial, social, or psychological reasons;
  14. Persons deprived of their liberty or under protective custody or guardianship;
  15. Participation in another therapeutic trial within the 30 days prior to randomization.

    • CRITERIA FOR STANDARD OF CARE TREATED EXTERNAL COHORT

Inclusion criteria (for standard of care treated external cohort) :

Patients eligible for this cohort must meet ALL of the following criteria:

  1. Patient information prior to study entry and non-opposition to data collection
  2. Subject ≥18 years of age ;
  3. Histologically proven TNBC defined as follows:

    1. HER2 negativity (ASCO/CAP criteria)
    2. AND less than 10% of cells stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for ER and PgR;
  4. TNBC patients previously treated by standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy with a minimum of 6 cycles of immunochemotherapy containing pembrolizumab, per standard of care (and pembrolizumab label) and anthracyclines and/or taxanes (with/without carboplatin). Other drugs may be acceptable following discussion with the sponsor (with the exclusion of capecitabine);
  5. Complete resection of the breast tumor(s) (and of any invaded lymph node);
  6. No complete pathological response, defined as RCB Class I, II or III (per local assessment);
  7. Patient should have received at least one injection of pembrolizumab as post-surgery treatment (concomitantly or after radiotherapy).

Non-exclusion criteria (for standard of care treated external cohort) :

Patients eligible for this study must not meet ANY of the following criteria:

  1. Radiological or clinical evidence of metastatic disease documented by imaging or clinical examination after surgery.
  2. Has received capecitabine or other ICI than pembrolizumab in the NAC regimen;
  3. Has a known additional malignancy, excepted skin basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or in situ cervical cancer or previously treated malignancy with no evidence of disease for ≥2 years;
  4. Any investigational anticancer therapy (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, biologic for cancer treatment) other than pembrolizumab only as adjuvant treatment.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
220 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Experimental arm : Pembrolizumab and capecitabine

    * Pembrolizumab will be administered at a fixed dose of 200 mg every 3 weeks (Q3W), with a total of 9 cycles at adjuvant phase of the treatment; * Capecitabine will be administrated at a dose of 1250 mg/m² twice a day (BID) (14 days on / 7 days off) for a total of 8 cycles, with a dose reduction at 825 mg/m² BID during radiotherapy if indicated * Local radiotherapy will be performed as per standard practice if indicated.

    Drug: Pembrolizumab injection · Drug: Capecitabine tablets · Radiation: Local radiotherapy

  • Other
    Standard of care (SOC) treated external cohort

    A standard of care treated external cohort with patients treated with pembrolizumab as postoperative treatment for localized TNBC without pCR after NAC, and with similar eligibility criteria will be registered in an ambispective way, allowing comparisons between the experimental arm and this external cohort. All the centres involved in the study will participate the registration of the needed information concerning this cohort.

    Drug: Pembrolizumab injection · Radiation: Local radiotherapy

Interventions

  • DrugPembrolizumab injection

    On Day 1 of each cycle for a total of 9 cycles; intravenous (IV) infusion

    Also known as: KEYTRUDA®

  • DrugCapecitabine tablets

    1250 mg/m² BID, on days 1-14 of each 21-day cycle; 8 cycles Dose reduction at 825 mg/m² BID during radiotherapy if indicated

    Also known as: Biogaran Capecitabine

  • RadiationLocal radiotherapy

    Local radiotherapy will be performed as per standard practice if indicated.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. 2-year Invasive Disease-free survival (iDFS)

    Invasive disease free survival (iDFS) defined as time from randomization to the first of the following events: local, regional or distant recurrence, or second primary cancer (including contralateral) or death due to any cause.

    Time frame: 2 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Overall survival (OS)

    The overall survival is the length of time from randomization that patients enrolled in the study are still alive.

    Time frame: From inclusion to death of any cause, up to 3.5 years.

  2. Distant disease-free survival (DDFS)

    Distant disease-free survival (DDFS) is defined as the time from the date of inclusion to the date of distant relapse or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.

    Time frame: Throughout study completion, up to 3.5 years.

  3. Efficacy (iDFS, OS and DDFS)

    iDFS, OS and DDFS will also be compared to the external cohort of TNBC patients without pCR after NAC and treated with adjuvant pembrolizumab as part of standard of care after surgery .

    Time frame: Throughout study completion, up to 3.5 years.

  4. Acute and late toxicity during the study

    The National Cancer Institute-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5 (NCI-CTCAE v5) is widely accepted in the community of oncology research as the leading rating scale for adverse events. This scale, divided into 5 grades (1 = "mild", 2 = "moderate", 3 = "severe", 4 = "life-threatening", and 5 = "death") determined by the investigator, will make it possible to assess the severity of the disorders.

    Time frame: Throughout study completion, up to 3.5 years.

07

Study locations

20 of 20 sites recruiting
  • CHU Amiens Picardie_Site Sud
    Amiens, 80054, France
    Recruiting
  • Institut Sainte Catherine
    Avignon, 84918, France
    Recruiting
  • Centre Hospitalier de la Côte Basque
    Bayonne, 64109, France
    Recruiting
  • CHU Jean Minoz
    Besançon, France
    Recruiting
  • Polyclinique Bordeaux Nord Aquitaine
    Bordeaux, 33077, France
    Recruiting
  • Centre François Baclesse
    Caen, 14000, France
    Recruiting
  • Centre Georges-François Leclerc
    Dijon, France
    • Sylvain LADOIRE, MD · Contact · sladoire@cgfl.fr
    • Sylvain LADOIRE, MD · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
  • CHD Vendee
    La Roche-sur-Yon, France
    Recruiting
  • Centre Oscar Lambret
    Lille, France
    Recruiting
  • Centre Léon Bérard
    Lyon, 69008, France
    Recruiting
  • Institut Paoli-Calmettes
    Marseille, 13009, France
    Recruiting
  • Institut Curie
    Paris, 75005, France
    • Delphine LOIRAT, MD · Contact · delphine.loirat@curie.fr · +331 56 24 55 00
    • Delphine LOIRAT, MD · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
  • Clinique de La Croix du sud
    Quint-Fonsegrives, 31130, France
    • Francesco RICCI, MD · Contact · Ricci.onco@outlook.com · +335 32 02 72 44
    • Francesco RICCI, MD · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
  • Institut Godinot
    Reims, 51100, France
    Recruiting
  • Institut Curie
    Saint-Cloud, 92210, France
    Recruiting
  • Clinique Mutualiste de l'Estuaire
    Saint-Nazaire, France
    Recruiting
  • Centre Paul Strauss
    Strasbourg, France
    • Thierry PETIT, MD · Contact · t.petit@icans.eu
    • Thierry PETIT, MD · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
  • Institut Claudius Regaud, IUCT Oncopole
    Toulouse, France
    Recruiting
  • CHU Bretonneau
    Tours, 37000, France
    • Marie-Agnès BY, MD · Contact · MA.BY@chu-tours.fr
    • Marie-Agnès BY, MD · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
  • Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine
    Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, 54519, France
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — Individual Participant Data will not be shared at an individual level. Those data will be part of the study database including all enrolled patients.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 17, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05973864
Lead sponsor
UNICANCER
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 3, 2023
Start date
Mar 11, 2025
Primary completion
Aug 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Nov 17, 2025

Study contacts

Telma ROQUE, PhD
Contact
cappa@unicancer.fr
+33 (0) 1 80 50 12 92
Sylvie Mijonnet, PhD
Contact
s-mijonnet@unicancer.fr
+33 (0) 1 44 23 04 65
Delphine LOIRAT, MD PhD
principal investigator · Institut Curie Paris
Jean-Yves PIERGA, MD
principal investigator · Institut Curie Paris

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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